ICE agent waves and blows kiss at protestors while making arrest
By Aaron Arellano
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EUGENE, Oregon (KEZI) — Neighbors, residents, immigration lawyers and advocates are reacting to the uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on Wednesday across Lane County.
According to Rob Fissete, an organizer with the Lane County Immigrant Defense Network, at least 9 ICE arrests occurred in Cottage Grove, 2 in Eugene, and 1 in Springfield on November 5th.
Videos are circulating on social media appearing to show some of the arrests. Serena Gilbert captured video of what appeared to be 2 landscapers on video being arrested by ICE agents along Norkenzie Road and Donovan Drive in Eugene. In the video, an ICE agent can be seen waving and blowing kisses to bystanders, community members and protestors, who were nearby honking and yelling at the agents.
The alleged taunting was verified by the homeowner who witnessed the arrest happen along his driveway.
“The one masked guy with the full tactical gear was waving at them and blowing kisses to them, which I thought was unprofessional,” said the home owner who wished to remain anonymous.
The homeowner has lived in Eugene for 40 years and believed the landscapers arrested were not a threat to the community.
“Trump said he was just going to go after the criminals. I don’t think these guys were criminals. I’ve seen them in the neighborhood for quite some time,” the homeowner said. “So they’re just working guys like everybody else trying to make a living.”
KEZI 9 reached out to a spokesperson with ICE seeking information about who was arrested by ICE agents across Lane County and what charges they’re facing.
“ICE is conducting routine law enforcement operations across the nation on a daily basis. Due to our operational tempo and increased interest in our mission, we are not able to research every arrest. Is there something about this arrest that makes it unusual? If there is and you would like us to research, we would need an A# and/or country of origin and birthdate of the individual,” said ICEMedia.
KEZI 9 pointed out the lack of transparency and public information regarding the arrests, as well as the ICE agent allegedly taunting bystanders and agents leaving broken glass and damaged property behind without cleaning anything up, as “unusual.”
Finally on November 9th, ICE public affairs officer Chrissy Cuttita said in a statement:
“ICE conducts targeted enforcement actions in accordance with the law, focusing on individuals who violate immigration laws. Claims suggesting that ICE indiscriminately targets random individuals are false and contribute to unwarranted fear within the community.
ICE conducts targeted enforcement actions that are based on intelligence driven leads focused on aliens identified for arrest and removal from the United States. During lawful immigration enforcement activities in Lane County, Oregon on Nov. 5, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations teams arrested nine illegal aliens in Cottage Grove and one illegal alien in Eugene. None of them were lawfully in the United States and even have criminal background. One had an order of removal and another had a previous voluntary return they did not honor.
All aliens who remain in the U.S. without a lawful immigration status may be subject to arrest and removal. For such aliens, the safest and most efficient option is self-deportation. Tools such as the CBP Home app are available to support the self-deportation process.”
The homeowner said the whole incident wrapped up within minutes.
“Three to four vehicles forced landscaping crew off the road and jumped out, broke the windows, got the guys out in the street. People were honking, yelling, and they took less than 10 minutes, and they were gone,” he said. “It seemed like Gestapo tactics to me. I don’t like it at all.”
The homeowner said the ICE agents left behind broken glass along the street and his driveway, and left the landscapers vehicles on the side of the road.
KEZI 9 called the number marked on the landscaping vehicle, and an anonymous family member of one of the detainees answer the phone. She said one of the two men was in the process of a legal immigration and had a lawyer. The other did not. Regardless, she said both men were working members of the community.
Fisette said as a result of the recent ICE activity, the Lane County Immigrant Defense Network hosted a community meeting in Eugene on Thursday night at First Christian Church to inform community members on how they can help concerned immigrants in the community.
Meanwhile, the The City of Eugene’s Independent Police Auditor is investigating complaints made about Eugene Police during Wednesday’s events.
“The City of Eugene’s Independent Police Auditor has received a number of complaints from members of the community that the Eugene Police Department was involved in immigration enforcement activities on November 5, 2025,” said Craig Renetzky. “We take these reports seriously and are now in the initial investigations stages to determine what occurred and if there was any Eugene Police involvement. We will conduct a complete and thorough investigation. We will post updates as they occur on our webpage: eugene-or.gov/1039/Police-Auditor.”
In response, Eugene Police provided this statement to clear the air:
“We received inquiries yesterday after social media posts about immigration raids in the area. It is illegal in Oregon for police agencies to use staff or resources for immigration-related purposes. Eugene Police Department has nothing to do with immigration, nor with raids yesterday. The photos and videos being shared on social media are clearly not Eugene Police officers,” Public information officer Melinda McLaughlin said. “We welcome any scruitiny and are glad that the City of Eugene has a Police Auditor so that any concerns can be independently reviewed.”
Cottage Grove Police Chief Cory Chase also sent a statement regarding recent ICE activity:
“The Cottage Grove Police Department is aware of an operation that took place yesterday November 5, 2025 in the City of Cottage Grove involving the Department of Homeland Security. Just before 5:00 AM an agent with DHS notified on-duty staff with the Cottage Grove Police Department that they were in the city for official business. No further details were provided to the Cottage Grove Police Department and our agency did not request any further details at the time of the notification. The Department of Homeland Security did not request any information or resources from the Cottage Grove Police Department. The Cottage Grove Police Department did not participate in any operations with the Department of Homeland Security. We continue to follow Oregon laws and our department policy regarding immigration matters,” said Chief Chase.
Local immigration attorney Karina Kilgren provided information for Oregonians concerned about an uptick in aggressive ICE activity:
Oregonians who need immigration legal services can enroll in Equity Corps of Oregon (ECO) by calling 1-888-274-7292. Download the “Protect Your Family” guide to make a safety plan in case a loved one is detained: latnet.org/immigration-resources/protect-your-family. If you witness ICE or Border Patrol activity, call the PIRC hotline: 1-888-622-1510. A guide for filming ICE activity is online at oregonforall.us/film.
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